Gorka was one of the three new professionals in last year’s Strictly line-up

Who is Gorka Marquez, how old is he and what’s his background?

Born in the industrial Spanish city on September 4, 1990, Gorka began dancing at the age of 12 and within a few years he was picked to represent Spain in the World Latin Championships in 2010.

Two years later he reached the semi-finals of the World Dance Sport Federation World Cup.

In 2014, Gorka joined the acclaimed Latin and ballroom dance troupe Burn the Floor, an international dancing phenomenon that was formed in 1995.

Strictly Come Dancing is his first major TV appearance.

When did Gorka Marquez join Strictly and who has he danced with?

In 2016, Gorka joined the BBC One celebrity dance show Strictly Come Dancing and was paired with EastEnders actress Tameka Empson.

He and Tameka became the second couple to leave the show after they were eliminated in the third week but two weeks later Gorka was brought back to the show to dance with singer Anastacia after her partner Brendan Cole fell ill.

He and Anastacia were eliminated in week six but Gorka continued to appear in the group dances.

Gorka is currently partnered with Alexandra Burke for the new series.

During the early stages of Strictly Come Dancing, he was linked to Gemma Atkinson.

When was Gorka assaulted?

Gorka was set upon by a gang of youths just hours after he appeared on the live Blackpool week of Strictly.

He had two teeth smashed out in the assault, which took place as he walked to a nightclub with friends and fellow Strictly professional dancers Aljaz Skorjanec and Neil Jones, and had to undergo emergency dental surgery.

Ever the professional, he returned to the show in order to perform in the group routines for the rest of the series.

When did Strictly Come Dancing 2017 start and who are the judges?

Strictly Come Dancing launched on September 9 on BBC One, with the live shows kicking off on September 23.

Strictly always airs on BBC One in two parts. The main show is on Saturday normally around 7pm and the results show airs on Sunday at a similar time.

There will be a Christmas special again in 2017, with the celebrity participants expected to be announced in early November.

This year sees a new judging lineup after head judge Len Goodman retired.

He has been replaced by Shirley Ballas who joins returning judges Bruno Tonioli, Darcey Bussell and Craig Revel-Horwood on the panel.

There are three new professional dancers joining the existing pros; Dianne Buswell, Amy Dowden and Nadiya Bychkova, although we have to wait until launch night to see who is paired with who.